Strategic Partnerships for Mental Health Professionals
Supporting psychologists, counsellors and allied health professionals across the Illawarra with a trauma-informed, evidence-informed breathwork referral pathway for clients.
A structured somatic complement to existing therapeutic care
THE MODALITY
Kora Wellness is a specialist 9D Breathwork studio in Port Kembla, operating alongside existing psychological and allied health care. We work with clients who are already engaged in therapeutic treatment, as well as those who are not yet ready for verbal approaches but need supported nervous system regulation now.
We do not provide diagnosis, crisis intervention, or psychological treatment. What we offer is a professionally facilitated, trauma-informed somatic experience that supports your clients' capacity to engage more fully with the work you are already doing with them.
9D Breathwork blends conscious connected breathing, binaural beats, solfeggio frequencies, somatic therapy and subconscious reprogramming - delivered lying down with noise-cancelling headphones. Sessions are offered as either downregulating journeys (nasal breathing, calibrated to calm and restore) or activating journeys (continuous circular mouth breathing, for deeper emotional release and pattern interruption). Session type is always matched to the client's current presentation and readiness during private sessions.
9D Breathwork works without requiring verbal disclosure making it especially accessible for clients who carry experiences that live in the body rather than the mind.
What the research supports
EVIDENCE BASE
The physiological mechanisms underlying breathwork are well-documented. The following findings are relevant to the client presentations most commonly referred to Kora Wellness.
How we support your clients
CLINICAL FIT
Clients presenting with the following are well-suited to breathwork as a complement to their existing therapeutic care.
- Anxiety, chronic stress and overwhelm
- Depression and emotional numbness
- Trauma and PTSD recovery
- Grief and loss processing
- Addiction recovery and relapse prevention
- Low self-worth and self-trust
- Sleep disruption and somatic tension
- Fear, shame and subconscious blocks
- Breathwork supports parasympathetic activation, helping the body move out of fight-or-flight and into a state where healing becomes more possible
- Improved emotional regulation and nervous system capacity
- Reduced stress and anxiety symptoms
- Greater self-agency and body awareness
- Improved sleep and heart-brain coherence
- A calm, embodied client is often more able to engage with ongoing recovery supports
Which session type is right for your client?
SESSION MATCHING
Kora offers two distinct session types with meaningfully different physiological profiles. Matching the right session to where your client's nervous system is right now is what determines whether the experience is genuinely therapeutic and it's the conversation Hayley has with every referring practitioner before a client's first session.
Release & pattern interruption
Continuous circular mouth breathing
- Has some window of tolerance for emotional activation
- Stable — not in active crisis or acute destabilisation
- Carrying grief, stored emotion or long-held patterns ready to move
- Has hit a ceiling with talk-based approaches alone
- Ready to work with deeper subconscious pattern interruption
- Motivated for active change and inner work
Restoration & nervous system repair
Nasal breathing throughout
- Chronically dysregulated or burned out nervous system
- Anxiety-predominant — needs to build felt safety first
- Early in trauma processing — not yet ready for activating work
- Sleep disruption, chronic stress or emotional numbness
- New to somatic work — building capacity and trust in the body
- Presentations where activating breathwork is contraindicated
Partnership & referral options
PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURE
Every referral arrangement is discussed individually depending on your practice, your client cohort and your clinical priorities. There is no fixed model, the conversation comes first.
Client Referrals
On-Site Sessions
Staff Wellbeing
Community Programs
Lived experience of the practice
WHAT KORA MEMBERS SAY
"I have been doing breathwork at Kora now for six months, three times a week. I can honestly say it has changed my life — like exercising the mind and soul, practising regularly to manage my depression and anxiety. To be able to go somewhere you feel safe and welcome and really focus on yourself is something I am so grateful for."
— Belinda TaylorContraindications & referral suitability
CLINICAL SAFETY
All contraindications below apply specifically to activating breathwork - continuous circular mouth breathing. Downregulating sessions use nasal breathing throughout and carry a significantly gentler physiological profile, remaining appropriate for a much wider client cohort. The distinction between these two session types is the most important safety consideration in any referral decision.
Not appropriate for activating sessions
These are flat contraindications regardless of presentation
- Cardiovascular disease, arrhythmia, angina, history of heart attack or stroke
- Epilepsy or seizure history
- Active psychosis or schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Personal or close family history of aneurysm
- Pregnancy
- Recent surgery or significant injury
- Glaucoma or retinal detachment
- Active crisis
Refer with a conversation first
Hayley will confirm the right session type before booking
- Panic disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Dissociative disorders or significant dissociation history
- Very recent trauma (last few weeks)
- PTSD — pacing and session sequencing matter significantly
- Asthma or managed respiratory conditions
- Osteoporosis or significant bone density concerns
- Hyperthyroidism or Graves disease
- Medications affecting blood pressure, heart rate or mental health
Making a referral - what to expect
HOW IT WORKS
The referral process is straightforward and built around your clinical workflow. There is no formal paperwork required to begin.
Get in touch with Hayley directly
A phone call or email is all that's needed to begin the conversation. Hayley is available to discuss the specific client presentation, answer any clinical questions, and confirm whether breathwork is an appropriate fit before any referral is made.
Client is introduced to Kora Wellness
Your client books directly via the Kora Wellness bookings page or by calling Hayley. A brief intake conversation prior to their first session ensures the right session type is selected and any relevant clinical context is understood.
First session and integration
The client attends their first session — either a group journey or private 1:1 depending on their presentation and preference. Clients are encouraged to bring any observations back to their therapeutic relationship with you.
Ongoing communication with consent
With the client's written consent, Hayley can provide brief progress notes to the referring practitioner. The frequency and format of this communication is agreed between both practitioners at the outset of the referral relationship.
About your facilitator
YOUR REFERRAL PARTNER
Hayley Simpson is a trauma-informed practitioner, Master NLP Practitioner and certified 9D Breathwork facilitator. With a deep background in somatic therapy, nervous system regulation and subconscious reprogramming, she has guided hundreds of people through profound inner healing across the Illawarra community.
Hayley is not a psychologist and does not position herself as one. What she brings is deep practical experience in nervous system regulation and somatic healing - and a genuine understanding of the clinical context in which her clients exist. She communicates openly with referring practitioners and takes the responsibility of working alongside established therapeutic care seriously.
Certified 9D Breathwork Facilitator
Master NLP Practitioner
Certified Master Practitioner of Hypnotherapy
Trauma-informed approach
Ready to have a conversation?
There's no pitch and no pressure, just an honest conversation about whether Kora is the right fit for your clients and your practice. Hayley is based in Port Kembla and regularly meets with clinicians across the Illawarra.